Flora and Grillo sat quietly, watching the stories inside the mirrors. Suddenly, every mirror in Mirrorland went dark.
The forest became silent.
Then, in the distance, one enormous mirror began to glow with a brilliant white light.
Grillo jumped to his feet.
"Flora... have you ever seen that mirror before?"
Flora slowly shook her head.
"No."
The giant mirror pulsed with light as if it were calling to them.
Grillo swallowed nervously.
"I don't think we should go near it."
Flora stared at it with her usual blank expression.
"I want to know why it is glowing."
She slowly walked toward the mirror.
As she stood before it, she reached out and gently touched its smooth surface.
The moment her fingertips touched the glass...
A blinding flash of light filled the forest.
"FLORA!" Grillo shouted.
The mirror swallowed her whole.
She disappeared.
Grillo froze.
"Flora?"
He looked around desperately.
She was gone.
Without thinking, Grillo touched the glowing mirror. Flora slowly opened her eyes.
Everything felt different.
She could hear birds singing... cars driving... people talking.
She sat up slowly.
"What happened?"
She looked around.
"This doesn't look like Mirrorland."
She stood and noticed a mirror hanging on the wall in front of her.
Curious, she walked closer.
"Wow..."
She stared at the reflection.
"This mirror is showing someone else."
She waved her hand.
The girl in the mirror waved too.
Flora tilted her head.
"What wonderful magic."
She reached toward the mirror.
The girl reached toward her.
Flora gasped.
"The mirror copied me!"
She had no idea she wasn't looking at a mirror story.
She was looking at herself.
She was inside Nyla's body.
Another flash of light filled the forest.
Then he disappeared too. Flora slowly opened her eyes.
Everything felt different.
She could hear birds singing... cars driving... people talking.
She sat up slowly.
"What happened?"
She looked around.
"This doesn't look like Mirrorland."
She stood and noticed a mirror hanging on the wall in front of her.
Curious, she walked closer.
"Wow..."
She stared at the reflection.
"This mirror is showing someone else."
She waved her hand.
The girl in the mirror waved too.
Flora tilted her head.
"What wonderful magic."
She reached toward the mirror.
The girl reached toward her.
Flora gasped.
"The mirror copied me!"
She had no idea she wasn't looking at a mirror story.
She was looking at herself.
She was inside Nyla's body. Flora touched her face.
The girl in the mirror did the same.
She blinked.
"So strange."
She smiled.
The girl smiled back.
"I know that expression."
She looked at her dark curly hair.
"My hair changed."
She stretched out her hands.
"My hands are smaller."
She looked down.
"My clothes changed too."
Flora walked around the room.
"This place feels... different."
Just then, someone shouted from another room.
"Nyla! Hurry up! You're going to be late!"
Flora looked around.
"Who is Nyla?"
No one answered.
The voice came again.
"Nyla!"
Flora pointed at herself.
"Me?" Meanwhile...
Grillo crashed into a pile of dirty laundry.
"Ouch!"
He stood up, rubbing his head.
"This definitely isn't Mirrorland."
He looked around until he spotted Flora.
"There you are!"
Flora smiled.
"Grillo!"
Grillo stopped walking.
His eyes became huge.
"...Why are you a little girl?"
Flora looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
Grillo pointed toward the mirror.
"Look!"
Flora looked into it again.
"The mirror still likes copying me."
Grillo burst into laughter.
"No, Flora!"
"That's not a mirror trick."
"I think..."
"...you're inside the girl we've been watching."
Flora blinked.
"I don't understand."
"I know," Grillo sighed. A loud knock came at the bedroom door.
"Nyla!" her mother shouted. "Open this door!"
Flora looked at Grillo.
"What do I do?"
Grillo whispered,
"I think..."
"...we're inside the story."
Flora looked confused.
"Stories don't have doors."
Grillo smiled.
"They do now."
The bedroom door slowly creaked open.
A tired-looking woman stood in the doorway.
"Nyla, who are you talking to?"
Flora looked at Grillo.
Then back at the woman.
She whispered,
"Can she see you?"
Grillo looked over his shoulder.
"No..."
"I don't think anyone can."
Flora took one slow step toward the woman.
For the very first time...
She wasn't watching a story anymore.
She was living inside one.